It all started when British Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman observed that several of Ford’s campaigns have shown him posing provocatively with female models, despite the fact that he’s “very open about being gay.” To which Ford replied, “I’m not gay, Alex! What made you think that?”

“Yes, and he’s a man, but we don’t necessarily have to put boxes around everything. Have you ever slept with a woman, Alex?” The answer — amid raucous laughter and a round of applause from the audience — was a swift “no.” Ford later added, “I hate to use the words gay and straight, and I think we’re all on some sort of sliding scale. Of course, I’m at the Richard Buckley end of the scale, but I hate that gay/straight thing.”

Tom Ford: not as literal as you might think. Also, we wholeheartedly endorse.